What Could've Been
by Miknel-san
Summary: FanFiction is all about 'what ifs', so, what if Rito and Lala never met and Rito confessed to Haruna, read this and find out what would happen to them. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**What Could've Been?**

**Chapter 1**

On the shore of a beach with sand as white as snow with waves crashing on to it sparkling with the rays of the setting sun, stands two figures, "Sairenji, there's something I need to tell you." The teenage boy with spiky orange hair says as he looks into her blue eyes.

"Yes, Yuuki-kun?" The teenage girl with silky blue hair asks.

The boy closes his eyes, "Sairenji, for a long time now I've..." He says but stops the moment she places her right index finger on his lips, causing him to open his eyes.

She looks at him and smiles, "Riiitooo..." She echoes. "...it's time to get up."

"Hmm?" He asks as a wave of water engulfs him.

"Ah, What?" Rito asks sitting up in his bed dripping wet. He looks to his left to see his little sister, Mikan, holding a bucket in her hands, "Mikan? What are you doing here?" He asks.

"Waking up my bothersome older brother before he's late for his second day of high school." She says with an emotionless face.

Rito looks at her in shock, "What?" He asks then looks at his clock, his look of wary turns to one of annoyance, "You woke me up two hours early." He says as he turns back to her to see her with a grin on her face. "What's with that grin?" He asks.

Mikan points at the soaking wet bed, "Looks like someone had a wet dream." She says.

Rito turns bright red, "You dumbed water on me!" He shouts.

"I know, I'm just teasing." She says with an innocent smile. "Now, go get ready and I'll change the sheets." She says as she pulls the sheets from the bed as Rito leaves to get ready for the day.

Later on route to school, "Man, why does she have to tease me, shouldn't it be the other way around? I'm the one who should be teasing her about stuff like this." Rito groans.

Rito is about to turn a corner when he hears some familiar voices, "So, Haruna-chan we're assigning jobs in class today, so are you going to be the class rep like you where in middle school?" The girl in glasses asks.

"I don't know Mio..." Haruna says but is interrupted by a pair of hands coming from behind. "Ek!"

"Good morning, Haruna." The girl groping Haruna from behind says.

Haruna turns her head to see who it was, "Risa, please stop." She pleads.

_Sigh... Sairenji Haruna-chan always looks so cute every time I see her. Her sweet expression, her silky blue hair... her gentle manner... she's the best..._ Rito thinks with a blush as he watches Haruna and her friends from around the corner.

"I'll stop if you say you'll be the class rep." Risa says as she gropes Haruna harder and faster.

Haruna, who's really red as a tomato gives into their demands, "Okay, I'll be the class rep." She says, just after that Risa let's go.

"That wasn't so hard now, was it?" Risa says with a grin.

"Yo, Rito! Are you stalking her again today!?" His spiky black-haired friend shouts behind him, startling him.

Rito turns to face him, "Who are you calling a stalker, Saruyama!?" He shouts angrily.

"What, you mean you aren't?" Saruyama asks with a goofy grin on his face. "You're looking at Haruna-chan again, right?"

"I wasn't just 'looking' at her today." He grumbles as he turns away and crosses his arms, "I've been thinking."

"Thinking?" Saruyama mimics.

"Yes, I've decided... I'm going to confess to her today." He proclaims, he then looks around the corner to see Haruna and her friends walking away.

"That's easier said than done, lover boy." Saruyama says with that goofy grin of his.

Rito turns and glares at him, "Yes, I know." Rito says as he starts walking followed by Saruyama.

* * *

><p>Daring class Rito thinks about how he's going to confess to Haruna as he stares at her from his seat.<p>

After school, "See you tomorrow Haruna." Risa says as she and Mio head out the school yard together. Haruna says good-bye then pulls out a Manga and starts walking out.

About ten or so feet ahead of her in the bushes under a tree, _Here she comes._ Rito thinks nervously, _She's getting closer,_ He thinks as Haruna walks closer. _I'm going to tell her... _my feeling... for her. __He turns red as she gets closer and closer and closer. She's right in front of him, _NOW! _He yells in his mind, but his body didn't respond. Haruna continues walking as Rito lowers his head in shame, "I choked." He murmurs in sadness. Rito then stands up ad starts walking home.

"I'm home." Rito says as he enters the house and removes his shoes.

"Welcome home Rito, dinner will be done in about an hour." Mikan shouts from the kitchen into the hallway. "How was school?" She asks as Rito walks to the stairs.

"Fine, nothing much to really talk about." He says with a bit of disappointment in his voice, "I'm going to take a bath before dinner, okay." He tells her as he heads up the stairs.

Rito enters his room with his cellphone to his ear, "I see, you failed. Just as I expected." Saruyama's voice says from the cellphone.

Rito lies on his bed, "Bastard, don't say you were expecting it." He says with irritation in his voice.

"Ha Ha! But it's your usual pattern Rito. You're usually calm and collective, but when it comes to love and romance, you're pathetic." He cries with laughter as Rito glares at his ceiling. "On top of that, you're such a naïve guy that you faint seeing gravures of a girl in a swimsuit."

"Wha!? Th-that was a longtime ago!" He shouts. "I'm not like that any more!"

On the other end, Saruyama smiles, "Ree-ally? Then try imagining Haruna-chan in a swimsuit."

"Eh?" Rito starts turning bright red from the image of Haruna in a swimsuit on a sunny beach. "Wha!" He panics as stem exits through the top of his head and ears. "Wai... Idiot! What are you saying!?" He demands.

"Gyahahaha! See, you haven't changed a bit!" He responds. "You should build up your resistance to girls first, Rito." He says as he looks in one of his 'magazine'. "Then you can start thinking about confessing." He remarks as he hangs up.

In the bathroom Rito lays down his clothes on the drier, showers then soaks in the bath tub. "That Saruyama, he can't keep his big mouth shut. It's not like he has a girlfriend." He thinks out loud. "But... what he said was some what true..." He says thinking back to earlier, "Never mind making friends with girls, I don't even remember if I've ever had any conversations with girls..." He then starts thinking, _Games... soccer... my life was basically all about having fun... until I met Haruna-chan._ He then turns red as the image of Haruna in a swimsuit pops up in his head. "No, No!" He shouts shaking his head, "Forget it, Forget it!" He sighs and looks up at the ceiling, "... Resistance to girls... huh... What should I do...?" He asks himself. After a few more minutes of thinking Rito gets out, dries himself and gets dressed in a t-shirt and long shorts with a big pocket on each leg.

He walks into his room and over to his desk, _Okay, I'll do it. _He thinks as he sits down, pulls out a piece of paper and a pencil and starts writing.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Dear Sairenji Haruna,<em>**

**_Ever since the eighth grade, _**

**_you where the only one who believed that I didn't vandalized the school garden _**

**_and after that I started to have feelings for you. _**

**_Will you please go out with me?_**

**_-Yuuki Rito-_**

* * *

><p>Rito finishes the letter and seals it in an envelope and writes her name on it, "Okay, I did it. Now all I have to do is... give it to her." He then remembers what happened after school, "Give it to her? I can't even approach her. I guess I can just slip it in her locker, but..." He says out loud as he walks around the room when he hears his sister's voice.<p>

"Rito, dinner's ready." She shouts from down stairs.

"I'll be right down." He shouts opening the door then stops when he remembers he has the letter in his hand. He then places it in his left pants pocket and continues down the stairs.

"Thanks for the meal." The Yuuki siblings say together then they start eating.

Mikan notices that her brother is eating slowly as if something is troubling him, "Okay Rito, out with it. What's bothering you?" She asks.

Rito looks at her then looks away with a small blush, _I can't tell Mikan, she'll tease me I'm sheer of it. _He thinks. He looks at her to see her staring at him, "Mikan, stop staring at me like that." He says.

"Not until you start talking, now what's on your mind?" She asks.

A few minutes past, Rito fiddles his food around for a moment, "Hmm, Mikan?"

"Yes, Rito."

He then looks at her, "Your pretty popular at school right? Have any boys confessed their love for you?" He asks looking away.

Mikan slightly blushes, "Wh-what? W-well, yes, a few boys have confessed to me, but I've always turned them down because I'm just not interested in that sort of thing." She explains very flustered, "Why do you ask?" She asks looking away.

Rito, still looking away, scratches his check, "Well, you see... there's this girl at school I really like and I don't know how to go about tell her how I feel." He says getting a little flustered.

Mikan's blush disappears as she signs in relief, "Is that all?" She asks, "Okay, I'll help you out." She says.

Rito looks at her, "Y-you will?" He asks.

"Yep, with role play." She says.

"Role play?" Rito mimics.

Mikan smiles and nods, "Yes, I'll play the role of this girl you like and you can just be yourself and you can practice what to say to her with me." She says.

"Hmm, okay." He says un-sheer, he then closes his eyes, "For a long time now I've liked you, please go out with me?" He asks, pretending Mikan is Haruna, and lowering his head.

Mikan blushes but quickly wipes it away, "Hmm, no. Even if you were the last man on Earth." She deadpans causing Rito to look at her in shock.

"Mikan." He says in annoyance as he stands up, "I'm going for a walk." He says walking out the kitchen.

Mikan watches him leave, "Rito, I was only kidding." She says.

"Yeah, somehow I knew you'd do that." He says from the door as he leaves. Rito walks out the gate and walks towards the park.

In the park he walks to a bench in front of some brushes and trees, he then sits down and looks up at the stars.

Meanwhile, Haruna and her dog, Maron are walking around the park when Maron stops and tilts his head slightly, "What's wrong, Maron?" Haruna asks then looks at what Maron is looking at, "Yuuki-kun?" She then picks up Maron and slowly walks to the trees and hides behind the one closes to Rito.

"That Mikan, always teasing me." He groans. "It's bad enough that I can't find the courage to confess to Haruna-chan, but Mikan just has to tease me when I ask her for help on the matter." He says out loud while looking at the stars as if they where his counselor.

Haruna couldn't believe her ears, "Yuuki-kun, likes me?" She asks herself. "And he called me Haruna-chan." She says softly turning red.

Rito then pulls out the letter he wrote earlier, "I'll just have to take the chance and give it to her." He says. He then looks up at the stars and sets the letter down. "The stars sheer are bright tonight." He says as a shooting star passes by, "Wow, a shooting star!" He says in 'ah'. A few minutes later he stands up and stretches, "Man, it's getting late." He says leaving.

Haruna walks out from behind the tree after Rito leaves, "Yuuki-kun..." Maron then escapes from her and walks over to the bench Rito was at, "Maron, what are you doing?" She asks walking to him, she then sees an envelope with her name on it laying on the bench. "Yuuki-kun forgot this. Was he going to give this to me at school?" She asks picking it up.

The next day Rito is walking to school with a sad expression, "I can't believe I lost the letter." He says out loud, "What will I do now?" He asks himself as he stops at a red light.

Haruna then walks to the same light and sees Rito standing there, _Yuuki-kun..._ Haruna then gathers all her courage and walks up to him, "Hmm, good morning Yuuki-kun." She says stopping next to him with a blush on her face.

Rito turns to her in surprize, "S-Sairenji... hmm, good morning." He says turning away with a slight blush. He then looks around and sees that they are alone, _This is your chance Rito, tell her. _He tells himself. He then turns to Haruna, "Sairenji, I have something I need to tell you." He says nervously.

"Yes, Yuuki-kun?" _Is he going to tell me? _She asks herself.

He turns red as he closes his eyes, "E-ever since we were in the eighth grade, I-I've developed feelings for you. W-will you p-please go out with me?" He says bowing. _I did it, I confessed._

She blushes as butterflies flutter in her stomach, _He did it, he confessed. _"I-I'd love to." She says causing Rito to look up extremely red in the face.

"R-really?" He asks.

"Yes, how does after school sound?" She asks with a sweet smile.

"It sounds like a plan." He says as the light changes, "Let's get going then." He says as they cross the street together.

**A/N **Okay, this is for all the Rito/Haruna fans out there. Next chapter will be their first date and I'm looking forward to it.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **Okay, finally chapter 2 is here. Hope you all like.

**What Could've Been?**

**Chapter 2**

**Last**** time: **Rito is walking to school with a sad expression, "I can't believe I lost the letter." He says out loud, "What will I do now?" He asks himself as he stops at a red light.

Haruna then walks to the same light and sees Rito standing there, _Yuuki-kun..._ Haruna then gathers all her courage and walks up to him, "Hmm, good morning Yuuki-kun." She says stopping next to him with a blush on her face.

Rito turns to her in surprise, "S-Sairenji... hmm, good morning." He says turning away with a slight blush. He then looks around and sees that they are alone, _This is your chance Rito, tell her. _He tells himself. He then turns to Haruna, "Sairenji, I have something I need to tell you." He says nervously.

"Yes, Yuuki-kun?" _Is he going to tell me? _She asks herself.

He turns red as he closes his eyes, "E-ever since we were in the eighth grade, I-I've developed feelings for you. W-will you p-please go out with me?" He says bowing. _I did it, I confessed._

She blushes as butterflies flutter in her stomach, _He did it, he confessed. _"I-I'd love to." She says causing Rito to look up extremely red in the face.

"R-really?" He asks.

"Yes, how does after school sound?" She asks with a sweet smile.

"It sounds like a plan." He says as the light changes, "Let's get going then." He says as they cross the street together.

* * *

><p>The school day passes rather quickly for Rito, <em>It's finally time. <em>He thinks nervously looking up at the clock as Saruyama walks up to him.

"Yo Rito, you ready to start training?" He asks.

Rito looks at Saruyama confused, "What training, what for?" He asks standing up.

Saruyama puts Rito in a friendly headlock, "To build up your immunity to girls silly, I got lots of comics at my place that'll defiantly help." He says with a perverted smile.

"Yuuki-kun, you coming?" Haruna calls out from across the room getting the boys' attention.

"Yes Sairenji, I'll be right there." He says breaking free of a frozen Saruyama, "Hmm, sorry Saruyama, maybe some other time perhaps. Later." He says walking away with Haruna by his side.

"What...just...happened?" Saruyama asks out loud as he watches Rito and Haruna walk away together, "Did I miss something from the first chapter?" He shouts getting odd looks from the few students left in the class.

Later, in the shopping district of town, Rito and Haruna are walking past various shops looking through the windows, until they find themselves at the arcade. Haruna stops and looks at a claw machine, "Isn't this one of those claw machines?" She asks.

"It is." Rito answers, "Looks like it has a variety of stuffed toys in it." He says looking in the machine.

"Ooh!" Haruna says seeing a stuffed dog with a few black patches on it as designs, "Aah, that one looks like Maron!"

"Maron?" Rito asks looking from the toy to Haruna.

Haruna continues to look at the dog, "Yes, Maron is the name of my dog." She says smiling.

Rito blushes and looks back at the toy in question, _She's so cute when she smiles._ He thinks pulling out some coins, "Alright, just leave it to me." He says inserting the coins. He then motions the controls to maneuver the claw over the dog, he presses the button to lower the claw and grabs the dog. The claw then drops the dog down the shoot. Rito opens the hatch and retrieves the toy. He then turns to Haruna, "Here, Sairenji. This is for you." He says lowering his head as he hands her the dog with a small blush on his face.

She accepts the dog from Rito with a smile and a light blush, "Wow Yuuki-kun, you're amazing!" She complements him while hugging the gift.

Rito looks up to see her smiling, "No, it's nothing really." He says blushing.

Then Haruna walks up to him and hugs him softly, "Really, Yuuki-kun. You are the best." She says with a heavily blush. She then feels Rito hug her back causing her to blush deeper and her heart to beat faster.

Meanwhile, across the street a certain brunette walks out a convenient store with a piece of paper in her hands, "Just a few more things left to buy." She says out loud then looks at the ground, _Rito was pretty upset this morning, I should apologize for last night and making his favorite dinner won't hurt. _She thinks then looks up to see Rito hugging a girl at the arcade. "Is that Rito over there and who is he with? Hmm..." A mischievous grin forms, "I wonder if she's the girl Rito likes, she has his school's uniform." She continues to watch them as they separate from the hug and turn away from each other, seeing that Rito is flushed bright red, "Yep, she is. Rito's too shy around girls to do anything, maybe I should follow them."

_ My hearts beating so fast and my checks are so warm! _Haruna thinks with her hands on her checks.

_Get a grip, it was just a hug. Nothing to get exited about. _Rito thinks. After his blush fades he turns back to Haruna, "Sa-Sairenji, do you want to go get something to drink?" He asks.

Haruna turns towards him, "Alright, I am pretty thirsty." She answers with a smile.

_That smile again. _He thinks as his heart beats a bit faster, "Alright, there's a café just over there." He says, they then walk over.

Mikan watches them go and frowns, _A café? Really? That's the best place you could think of taking her? It's not very romantic, now let's see__. _She thinks as she looks around as she follows them until she sees in the distance, "The aquarium. Now that's a romantic setting." She then walks over quickly and enters.

Meanwhile, they arrive at an outdoors café, "I'll be right back, I'm going to go order us some drinks." Rito says as he goes in as Haruna sits at a table.

Mikan then walks by Haruna looking rather glum, "What am I to do?" She asks out loud. She then notices Haruna and walks up to her, "Excuse me, are you with some one?" She asks.

"Hmm, yes he just went in to buy us some drinks." She answers.

Mikan grins, "'He', well maybe you can make use of these." She says pulling out two tickets to the aquarium, "I was supposed to meet a friend here, but she canceled and I don't won't these to go to waste, so here." She gives Haruna the tickets, "Take you boyfriend to the aquarium and have fun." She says leaving.

Haruna blushes hearing the word 'boyfriend', "Hmm, wait a minute." She calls out but Mikan had already disappeared.

Rito then walks out with their drinks, "Sairenji, I'm back." He says setting down the drinks and sitting down himself, "What do you have there?" He asks after noticing Haruna holding something.

Haruna looks at the tickets in her hands, "Oh, their tickets to the aquarium, a girl just came by and gave them to me." He answers.

"The aquarium?" He asks looking at the building across the street with a large fish above the door. "Would you like to go to the aquarium, after we're done here?" He asks.

"Yes, I've never been to the aquarium before." She says.

"Really? You'll enjoy it." He says then taking a sip of his drink, "The first trip is the best."

Later inside the aquarium, "Wow. It's so pretty!" Haruna says looking in all the tanks, "There's so many different kinds of fish here."

"Yeah, that's an aquarium for ya." Rito says as they walk around.

They look into a tank, "Look at all the fish, so cool!" She says as they watch the fish swim around the underwater environment.

Rito looks at the fish then looks back at Haruna, the light from the tank illuminating her, Rito then smiles, "Yes, so beautiful." He says. He then blushes deep red and looks the other way, _Did I say that out loud?_ He thinks then looks back at the tank as fish swim by.

From behind a nearby corner Mikan sees and hears it all, _Come on Rito. I've set the mood, now make your move. _She watches the two stand there. She then sees something waddling towards them, "What the, is that a penguin?" It waddles right up to Rito and pecks his butt causing Rito to jump and Mikan to laugh.

"OW! Something bit me!?" He says turning around and stepping back while rubbing the spot he was bitten.

He then sees a penguin standing there. "Kwe!"

Haruna turns after hearing Rito in pain and sees the penguin, "Ooh, what a cute penguin." She says kneeling down to pet it.

"Kwe!"

Haruna then notices a lot of papers in a bag strapped on it's back, "Hmm, what are these?" She asks tacking one. The penguin then waddles away and around the corner Mikan is hiding behind.

Rito walks up behind Haruna and looks at the paper in her hands, "Looks like it's a flyer to promote a penguin show they're having today." He says turning to look at Haruna as she turns too, their noses inches from touching. After a minute or so they turn away with a big blush on their faces. Rito takes a step back, "W-w-why d-d-don't w-w-we... check out the show." He stutters out nervously.

Haruna takes a deep breath to calm her nerves and turns to him, "It sounds fun, Yuuki-kun." She says with a smile.

"Alright, let's go." He says. They then head for aquarium's auditorium followed by Mikan.

They sit in the front row (they're the only one's in that row) just before the show starts, Mikan sits in the back where she has a good view of them and the show. The show starts as a woman wearing a wet suit directs the penguins having them swim through the water, slide on the ice then jumps through hoops at the end of ramps and various other tricks.

The woman directing the penguins notices Rito and Haruna and she tells one of her penguins that comes out of the water something while pointing at them. The penguin waddles towards them then stops about three feet away. It then sprays water at Rito's face surprising him. Haruna starts laughing until the penguin sprays her with water too. She looks at Rito shocked then they both start laughing. The woman smiles and continues the show.

As Rito and Haruna continue to watch the penguins Mikan watches them with a smile, _They seem to be getting along pretty well. _She thinks and after several minutes she frowns. _Then, why do I feel so sad?_ She asks herself as she turns away.

Later, Rito and Haruna exit the aquarium, "I had a lot of fun today, Yuuki-kun." Haruna says.

"It was fun. Hmm, it's getting pretty late I'll walk you home." He says looking up at the reddish sky.

Haruna shakes her head, "Thanks for the offer, Yuuki-kun, but I have to go meet up with my sister. I'll see you tomorrow." She says giving a wave as she walks away.

"Okay, see you tomorrow." He says watching her leave. He then smiles thinking back on the day's events as he looks up at the sky.

Mikan then walks up behind him, "Well, what do we have here?" She asks with a grin.

Rito snaps out of his thoughts and turns around, "M-Mikan? Wh-what are you doing here?" He asks, _Please tell me she didn't see me with Haruna-chan_.

"I just got done shopping for tonight's dinner and you?" She asks knowing all to well what Rito had been up to.

"Hmm, I... I... I just parted ways with Saruyama we where just hanging out today." Rito says thinking it'll be a convincing lie.

_That's so a lie, you where on a date with a very cute girl. _She thinks with a grin, "So, how is Saruyama-san? Is he the same as always?" She asks.

"Yes, he hasn't changed much from the last time you met him." He says, _Good, she bought it._ He thinks.

"Figures, well let's head home..." She walks past him, "...Onii-chaaannn." She says teasingly as she walks away.

"Mikan!?" He questions as he follows her.

**A/N **Okay, that's their first date and I'm looking forward to more dates in later chapters. Fav/Follow if you want and leave a review with your opinion, thanks.


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